Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Eyewitnesses cast doubts on police shooting claims

The Times reports on the last few minutes of the innocent Brazilian murdered by police, and gives eyewitness accounts which contradict police claims that Jean Charles de Menezes was given a warning. According to a family member, Mr de Menezes had been mugged previously. If there were men chasing you with their guns waving in the air, when it certainly was not clear that they were the police, would you stand still, or run?:

Lee Ruston, 32, who was on the platform, said that he did not hear any of the three shout “police” or anything like it. Mr Ruston, a construction company director, said that he saw two of the officers put on their blue baseball caps marked “police” but that the frightened electrician could not have seen that happen because he had his back to the officers and was running with his head down.